Displayed inside a showcase on the upper level of the MCG sits a neon pink outfit worn by the entertainer. His performance in front of a hundred thousand fans was considered a major hit.
Perhaps you don't enjoy his music. Maybe you feel he is the ultimate present to music known to man. Or you could adopt a balanced view, conceding that some tracks are fantastic while others are terrible.
The key argument is that entertainment can take many forms. You like what you like. There is no universal formula to produce music or even five-day cricket.
The Unrivalled Depth of The Test Format
Test cricket boasts unrivalled depth. It's difficult to think of another sport where the contest is so dictated by conditions.
The weather, the time of day, the ball – the factors are countless. Most important is the wicket.
If the long game is art, the pitch is the foundation on which the athletes craft their legacy.
A Broken-Down Battle: The Fourth Test
The recent Melbourne match between the two sides was Test cricket cubism, the traditional sport dismantled and stuck back together in abstract form.
Let's be clear, this isn't a endorsement of the pitch which produced a victory and the second two-day Test of the Ashes battle.
Allowing excessive grass on the pitch, causing numerous dismissals being taken in less than six sessions, is not an even battle between batter and bowler.
A Varied History: The Nature of Test Cricket
But any suggestion this was a lesser event, one that should be qualified as not a proper Test, is incorrect.
The format is a diverse canvas, over two thousand matches and still growing. At times, like in Melbourne, the cricket ball behaves unpredictably for the fast men. Sometimes, it grips and turns on a dry surface. At other venues, the pitch is unresponsive, other times it spits like a cobra.
The close matches are particularly captivating due to the time committed in other matches.
Adaptation: The Core Skill
Certain variables are accepted more easily than others.
The contention in Melbourne was that the balance was tipped too far towards the bowlers. That the best players were hindered from demonstrating their skill.
Test cricket is about adapting to challenges – reading the situation and adjusting accordingly. The best individual contributions were made by acknowledged batters. One line-up made more mistakes than the other, and thus ended up second best.
Pure Elation: The Fan Perspective
Go and inform the supporters who have experienced years of defeat that this lacked spectacle.
In one section of the stadium, thousands made noise and sang their songs, generating a festive mood in a stronghold of Australian cricket.
There was optimism as the attack dominated, impetus when batters scored quickly, and rapturous celebration when the victory was confirmed.
Polar Opposites: The Spectrum of Test Matches
The venue has previous experience with controversial surfaces. Previously, a game there featured a strip with the character of a pulled Christmas cracker.
That match was a marathon, with limited drama and slow play. The latest encounter and that previous match are extreme ends of the range – both are not perfect, yet historical weight can be found in each.
Deep into the series into the Ashes contest, it is the shortest games that will live longest in the memory.
"This isn't the end of the format at all," observed a veteran. "Spectators who have been privileged to see these two days have been treated to some fantastic sport. An unusual spectacle."
Baby Steps: A Glimmer of Hope
In the build-up to this Test, the captain talked like a man carrying the weight of the world on his mind.
The squad responded for him, reinstating the positive demeanor to his face.
Different players performed with key contributions. These are incremental gains, certainly not enough to ensure long-term futures, but a foundation to use as a platform.
Ultimately, this triumph joins other memorable performances in meaningless games.
As the fans left into a stunning sunset, the players gathered on the outfield to commence their own celebrations.
Savour the moment, men. It's well deserved.
